Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-07


ology, one heaveni" While | sand here
it seems to me as il
THIS COMMUNION TABLE,
which Is only seven or eight feet long and
three or four feet wide, wideps until all the
Christians of our own denomination can
sit at it; and still the table widens until
all the Christians in iais land of sll names
and denominations come and sit at it;
and still the table widens until il bridges
the sea, and Christians on the other side
Of the Atlantic come and sit al it; and
still that table widens, Until the redeemed
of heaven mingle IN the com munion ::
Church militant; church triumphant.
one army of the living Sod
To His CO manu we bow;
Part of the host have or lssed the Il BOD,
And part are crossing now.
Again, nv friends, this is an absorbing
scene because it arouses so many precious
memories. We look back and remember
the days of our childhood when, long be-
fore we knew the meaning of the bread
and the wine, we sat in the side pews on
sacramento days, or in the galleries, and
looked as our fathers, mothers aud older
brothers and sisters sat at the communion.
Or, if we sat with them, we pulled at
mothers dress ana said: "What does
that mean? What is that in the cup?
What is that on the plate?" o, yes; we
remember those sacramentsl days of our
boyhood. We remember how much more
| tender father was on that day than on any
other day. We remember how mother
stood, and without saying one word
looked at US, and her eyes got full Of
tears. Oh, the dear old soul! They
have gone! But until the day Of our
death we will associate this holy ordin-
ence with their memory. And when cur
work on earth is done we will lust go up
and sit down beside them in the heavenly
church, as we used to sit beside them in
| the earthly church, and then we will drink
new wine in our Fathers kingdom.
Behold the saints, beloved of God,
Washed are their robes in Jesus blood;
Brighter than angels. o, they shine,
Their glOries splendid and sublime.
| remark again: This scene is tender
| day because it is confessional. You
and l remember the time when II man
had charged US with anything
LIKE IMPERF CTION
or wrong doing, we would have thrown
ourselves back on our honor, and said
"You don't know who you are talking to.
shall resent such an insult to my honor
and integrity" We do not feel that way
| to-day. As we gaze upon the sacrifice OF
| Christ, and think of what we have been
and what we have done, our hearts melt
within US. We see one dying sccursed for
our sin, END we hear Him in his dying words
begging for our service, and yet how lit
! tie service We have rendered. OF this
short life we have begrudged God even
fragment. Alas. Alas! Some Of US
have lived out most Of our Gays, and yet
/ we have rendered to God nc earnest
service. Sad, that we could have so msl-
! treated Him on whom all our hopes de-
pend. Ga, my brethren and sisters in
Christ, to-day Join hands with me in a
confession before Christ, If there be
| any place more humble than another, let
US take it. II there be any prayer more
! importuaate than another, let us breathe
| it. If there be any confession more Bit
ter than another, let US low weep it out.
Well might the sun In darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the m ghty Maker, died
For man, the creatures sin.
Once more: This Is tender and alb
sorbing scene because it is anticipative.
My brethren, we are not always going to
stay here. This is not our home.
This is
ONLY TIL NESTlBULE
of the church in which at last we expect
to enter After awhile our names will be
taken off the church books, or there will
be mark in the margin to indicate that
we have gone up to q better church and
10 higher communion. Our Father is
not going to let His children remain in
the dust. The grave is nc place for US to
stay IN. "The trumpet shall sound and
the dead shall RISE" The Lord shall de-
scend from heaven with a shout and the
voice of the Grchsngel, and .'e shall rise.
The white ro0e in which they put us to
our last slumber here must get winter.
On, the reunion of patriarchs, and apos-
ties, and prophets, and OF all our glorified
kindred, and of that "great multitude, that
no man can number" Our sorrows over
Our journey erded. 1t will be as when
kings banquet. And: Just as the snow of
winter melts, and the tialds Will brighten
in the glorious springtime, so it will be
with all these cold sorrows of earth; theg
snail be melted away ct last before the
warm sunshine OF heaven.
While present these thoughts this
morning does it not seem that
HEAVEN COMES VERY NEAR
to us, as though our friends, whom we
thought great way off, are not in the
distance but close by? You have some
times come down to s. river at nightfall,
and you have been surprised how easily
YOU could hear voices across that river.
You shouted over to the other side of the
river, and they shouted back. 1t is said that
when George Whitetied preached in Third
street, Philadelphia, one evening time, his
voice was heard clear across to the New
Jersey shore. When was little while
chaplain in the army, l remember how at
even-tide we cOulu easily hesr the voices
of the pickets across the Potomac, just
when they were using ordinary
tones. And as We come to-day
and stand by the river of
Jordon that divides US from our friends
who are gone, it seems to me we stand on
one bank and they stand on the other;
ard 1t is only narrow stream and our
voices go and their voices come. Hark.
hush! hear distinctly what they say:
"These are they who come out of great
tribulstio2, and had their robes washed
and made white in the blood of the
Lamb" Still the voice comes across the
waters, and l hear: ave hunger nc
more, we thirst no more, neither shall
the sun light on US nor airy heat, for the
Lamb which is in the midst of the threne